First Study of AstraZeneca/Sputnik V Combination Shows No Serious Adverse Effects, RDIF Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The world's first study of a combination of the AstraZeneca vaccine and the first component of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, which was carried out in Azerbaijan, showed no serious adverse effects or coronavirus infections after vaccination, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced on Friday.

"Studies on safety and immunogenicity of the combination of the AstraZeneca vaccine and the first component of the Sputnik V vaccine in Azerbaijan began in February 2021. To date, 50 volunteers have been vaccinated and new participants are invited to join the trial. Interim analysis of the data demonstrates a high safety profile for the combined use of the vaccines with no serious adverse events or cases of coronavirus after vaccination", RDIF said in a press release.

Initial data on the immunogenicity of the combined use of the vaccines in Azerbaijan will be published in August.

"We look forward to ... success in Azerbaijan and other countries, which will allow more effective implementation of vaccination programs and protect people around the world. We consider it important to conduct joint research on combining the first component of Sputnik V with vaccines from other manufacturers for a more effective fight against emerging new strains of coronavirus", RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev said, as quoted in the press release.

A vial of some of the first 500,000 of the 2-million AstraZeneca coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine doses that Canada has secured through a deal with the Serum Institute of India in partnership with Verity Pharma at a facility in Milton, Ontario, Canada March 3, 2021.

© REUTERS / CARLOS OSORIO

"A heterogeneous prime-boosting involving administering components of different vaccines to a patient is one of the most promising vaccination regimens to study. It is becoming especially relevant now when the issue of preventing the spread of new strains of coronavirus infection is acute, and the need for revaccination of the population is also coming to a head. That is why the results of the study can be of great importance for those countries where both the vaccine by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford and the Sputnik V vaccine are registered", AstraZeneca Russia and Eurasia General Manager Irina Panarina added.

Sputnik Light is a one-component version of the Russian coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V, developed by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Gamaleya Institute. According to RDIF, Sputnik Light has shown 79.4% efficacy in preventing COVID-19, higher than some other two-dose vaccines.

AstraZeneca is a UK-Swedish vaccine, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. According to the data published in Lancet, the vaccine is 76.0% at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 following the first dose and 81.3% after the second dose.